Skeletons in the closet
by Trufreak89
Summary: Sydney is confronted by her past at SD6 FF in later chaptersComplete
1. Default Chapter

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Sydney Bristow had expected the mission to be easy. A simple assignment of collecting a disk from a covenant defective in Las Vegas. That was four hours ago when she'd first been briefed. Now she sat in a cramped little van next to Vaughn and finished getting changed into her cocktail waitress costume.

She silently nodded to him as she left and didn't wait for his response. It would only hurt her. She entered the casino using the staff entrance and through the kitchen into the main gaming area. Holding a tray of drinks she made her way over to Andre Vassal, the covenant contact she was meeting.

Vassal noticed Agent Bristow immediately, even though her hair was a deep red and her eyes were a cerulean blue. It was definitely his contact. She placed his drink down and he discretely handed her a note.

She smiled and walked off, disappearing into the crowd. She ditched the tray and returned to the van after reading the note. "Vaughn, he's given us the location of the disk. He said it has the identity of two covenant moles within the CIA."

"Good job. Where is it?" He asked as she changed into plain back clothes and removed the wig and contact lenses.

"In a locker at the train station. Locker one nineteen. "She answered. "We better get going."

"Syd...about the other day..." Vaughn began but Sydney cut him off.

"We've got work to do Vaughn." He nodded and put the van into motion.

They arrived at the train station and Sydney grabbed a ski mask to put over her face. "There are two covenant guards. I don't want to be recognised." She explained.

"I'll come with you..."

"It's only two guys Vaughn." She objected. She'd been pushing him away ever since he'd returned to Lauren. She understood how he worked. If someone were in trouble Vaughn wouldn't abandon them. He was too nice.

Inside the train station was almost deserted, with only the odd passenger still waiting for their train out of Las Vegas. She slipped discretely into the back area that homed the lockers and searched down the endless rows for one nineteen. On her search she found the two guards. One close to the entrance, she'd had to use all her stealth to sneak past him, and the other standing next to one nineteen. She jumped him and he fell to the ground after she'd sprayed sleeping gas in his face, but as he fell the large man thudded loudly off the concrete ground. She picked up his gun and waited for his partner to rush her, but he never came.

She cautiously took out her lock picking kit and popped the lock of the storage locker. Still no one came after her. It was all too easy. She was about to pocket the disk when she felt pressure on the back of her neck. It was the familiar feeling of a .9mm pushed against her. Then she heard a click signalling the bullet loading into the chamber.

"I believe you've done our job for us." A male voice laughed and then she was shoved back against a locker so she was facing him. He wasn't alone. His partner, a woman of Sydney's age held the gun at her.

"I doubt you're Covenant." He continued. "Who do you work for?"

Her smile was visible under the ski mask and the man frowned. "You have a gun to your head. Why the hell are you smiling?"

"Drop it!" Vaughn ordered from behind him with a gun aimed at his head. "You okay?"

Sydney nodded and went to move. "I don't think so." The woman grabbed Sydney around the neck and pulled her against her. The man quickly scrambled beside his partner.

"Let her go!" Vaughn ordered the two masked assailants.

The woman shook her head. "Hmmm, let me see, no." She reached into Syd's jacket and pulled out the disk. "No, my partner and I are going to take your associate with us to our car and then we'll let her go. Give us the gun."

"Don't do it..." Sydney argued. The gun was pressed harder into her neck and she stifled back a whimper. Vaughn handed his weapon to the man and he snatched it without delay.

They pulled Sydney backwards towards an open fire exit. How had she missed that? A Mazda MX5 with tinted windows sat by it, waiting patiently for its owners.

Sydney was pushed against the car and her hands bound with a shoelace from the man's boot. Vaughn tried to move forwards, but the gun at Syd's head stopped him. She looked at him with urgency as she was shoved into the back seat of the car and the man sat in beside her. The woman moved to Vaughn and whacked his head with the butt of the gun. He fell to the ground, conscious but dazed and the woman got into the front seat of the Mazda and drove off.

Sydney was fuming. These people had ruined her mission and abducted her! She needed that disk to identify the CIA leak. She couldn't believe it had been senator Reed, but she couldn't tell Vaughn her suspicions. _'By the way I think your wife's Covenant and killed her father to cover it' _sounds slightly jealous ex like.

"So what do we do with her?" The man asked as he sat beside her on the small backseat. His partner looked at her in the rear view mirror.

"We'll take her to the safe house and _interrogate _her there." He smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like a plan."

The safe house was five minutes away. A small apartment just off the strip. They forced her into the living room and pushed her roughly onto the couch. She fell down and lay with her face pushed against the cushions. She felt her bound arms being pulled backwards and sat up freely, but as she was pulled to a seating position she threw her head back and tried to head butt her attacker. The woman anticipated it and pushed her back down. Straddling her from behind.

The man pulled off his mask and knelt down next to the couch where Sydney lay pinned down. "Let's see who our new friend is." Sydney began to panic. How hadn't she recognised him before? If he was him, that meant she was her.

She struggled and was pushed down harder. "No. Please, let me..." Her mask was pulled off and her face exposed. He sat back on the floor with a large grin spread on his face.

"What is it?" His partner asked and turned Syd over so she was straddling her from the front. She beamed at her partner and Sydney cowered slightly.

"Agent Sydney Bristow." She purred. "Well, seeing as SD-6 no longer exists. I guess it's just Sydney Bristow, who were you with and why did you want that disk?"

"Sydney Bristow, field agent, number..." The woman on top of her pushed down harder on her and she flinched.

"That name rank and number crap will get you no where Bristow." The man warned. "What should we do with our guest Elliot?"

"How about we catch up, Zac?" She suggested and rose from Sydney. They man handled her into a wooden chair Zac placed in the middle of the living room. Tying her down with duck tape they made sure she was secure. They knew of Sydney's strength and abilities.

They sat back on the couch and admired their handy work. She was secure except for her mouth, but they needed her to be able to talk.

"So, Syd, who you working with now? I hear the CIA's got Sloane." Zac began.

"Actually I've heard a lot of things too." Elliot interrupted. "I heard Sloane killed Danny and that you went missing for two years. Rumours are you got stolen by the Covenant."

She remained silent. With a blank look spread over her features. The last thing she wanted was to be tied up around Elliot and Zac. Elliot laughed at her silence. "Perhaps I should contact the Covenant. I'm sure they'd love you back."

Her eyes became wide with unsuppressed fear. "No, please. I..."

"Who do you work for Bristow? And why did you want that disk?" Zac asked.

"I can't go back to them. The disk has Covenant information on. Some of which reveals information on an operative I've been following."

Elliot d held the disk up in her hand. "We just wanted it for leverage. I'll make you a deal Sydney. You up for that?"

"What kind of deal?" She asked cautiously. Elliot was as deceptive as Sloane. Well she did work for him since she was eighteen. She and Elliot had been the top field agents when Sydney had first joined SD-6. They'd taken her under their wing and babysat her until she began to rival their own legacy.

Sydney sat in the CIA debriefing room and explained the deal to Dixon, her father, Vaughn, Lauren, Weiss and Marshall. "I help them out on one assignment and they give us the master copy of the disk." She explained.

"It's too risky Sydney..." Jack began, but Sydney's piercing look stopped her.

"Syd..." Dixon stopped mid sentence too. The glare in her eye warning her superior to leave the past buried.

"N-no!" Marshal managed to stammer out. He shook his head. "No way! It's t-too dangerous. I mean I know you're a great agent and stuff, but Syd, you can't..."

"Marshal." She glared and felt terrible as he cowered from her.

"Is this some SD-6 thing?" Weiss asked.

Sydney watched as the three men who had worked at SD-6 scowled at her and urged her to come clean.

"It was a long time ago!" Sydney objected. "They didn't even mention it." She found Vaughn's concerned eyes and Lauren's curious glare upon her. She had no choice but to rake up the past. A past she wanted to forget more than she wanted to remember her time as Julia Thorne.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This part jumps back in time (Pre Vaughn and the CIA etc;) It contains mild-femslash (but nothing graphic) if you don't like it I'm not forcing you to read it.

Present day

"Sydney, they're your colleagues now." Dixon referred to Vaughn, Lauren and Weiss. "I know it was hard back then and things were different, but they have to know."

Sydney nodded. It had been hard enough to tell Dixon all those years ago; she figured her father had found out from Dixon. "Fine."

August 7th 2000

Sydney Bristow rushed to the front door just as Danny answered it. He'd stayed the night again and had taken the day off work so they could spend the morning together and things between them were getting quite serious. He greeted Sydney's colleague and let her into the house.

"Hey." Sydney greeted her. "Is the meeting still on today?" Danny sighed and shook his head.

"Most people start work once they get there. Take it easy, okay? I've booked the table for tonight at the restaurant and I don't want you falling asleep during the main course." Danny teased and hugged her.

"That was one time!" She argued and grabbed her bag.

"Bye sweetie." He kissed her and waved to her as she and her associate drove off. She knew he'd lock up properly.

"Is the mission still on Elle?" Syd asked as they drove to the Credit Dauphine.

"Yup, sweetie it is. Are you sure you can go? I mean ickle Sydney might get tired on such a big mission." She teased and braced for the sucker punch Syd delivered to her arm.

"Quit it." She was already a beetroot red. "He doesn't realize that I fell asleep because of the nerve gas I was getting over."

Sloane briefed them quickly and sent them on their way to Marshal to get their equipment for their Mission. Zac was already getting his communication equipment.

"Morning Syd." He greeted her.

"Good morning Miss Bristow." Marshal was a deeper red than Sydney had been.

"How are my boys today?" She replied and Marshal seemed ready to pass out. Unable to reply he smiled at her.

They were given their costumes (extremely short dresses) and their gadgets. Not that many were needed for the mission. Elle and Sydney had been chosen on two points. The second was that Elle and Zac were the top field agents for SD-6 with Sydney coming a close second, but the main reason was their looks and especially how they look in extremely short dresses. They were the complete opposite of each other. Sydney was dark haired with deep pools of brown eyes and Elle bearing blonde curls and blue eyes. She had the appearance of an angel, with the attitude of an imp.

Once they were ready they drove to a local bar where their target was downing martinis and surrounded by woman. "Good luck ladies." Zac purred in their ears through the receivers. "Especially you ickle Syd. We wouldn't want Danny to worry."

Syd scowled at Elle and mouthed 'you told him?' she smiled her trademark impish grin and Sydney's scowl disappeared. Elle had a way of bending her around her little finger.

She linked into Syd and led her over to the target. Bradley Jessop. He glanced over at the two women who were linking and smiled. The angelic one grinned back and whispered something to the brunette.   
  
"He's watching, but we've got some competition. I think we're in slut central." Elle whispered.

"I'm glad you feel at home..." She fought back a wince as Elle kicked her playfully under the table.

"I have a plan." She mouthed to her and Syd nodded in acceptance. Elle usually thought well under pressure and whatever she came up with would work.

They were sitting at the table next to Jessop and Elle slid around so she was sitting on Syd's knee. "Baby, do we have to stay here? Why can't we go home back to our big fluffy bed and then we can..."

Sydney had to suppress a grin as she played along. "Darling I just got you out of bed! We've been in there all day! I'm exhausted!" The smile on Jessop's face spread. As Elle was about to finish her argument he left his group of adorers and headed over to them.

"Hi, I'm Bradley Jessop, I own this club. Who might you fine young ladies be?"

"Fed up!" Elle complained. "She won't let me take her home and..."

"I overheard that. I think I can solve your problem. There's a bedroom suite upstairs, feel free to use _all _of our facilities." He slid his hand closer to Elle's knee.

"And what would make you so generous?" Sydney played dumb.

Elle smiled and stood up taking Jessop's hand. "She's not the brightest banana in the bunch, but I'm sure she aggress, three is defiantly not a crowd."

"Oh!" Sydney giggled, still playing dumb.

They went to the bedroom upstairs and Jessop settled himself on the bed. He laid his jacket on the floor and the key card they were supposed to obtain was clearly visible.

"We'll just go freshen up." Elle pulled Syd into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Okay the key card's on the floor by his foot. So get out of your clothes and..." Elle began.

"What!" Sydney hissed. "I am not having a threesome with you and Mr. Hotshot out there!"

"Oh, Syd, I'm hurt." She teased and laughed at Zac's enthusiastic encouragement trough the earpiece. She pulled out her earpiece and removed Sydney's. She clamped her hand over them. "Look, we play along until we can get the key card, trust me Syd, you're not my type." Elle pulled off her dress so she was just wearing her undergarments. Syd paused and did the same. They buried the earpieces under their dresses to stop Zac hearing anything and after a deep breath Syd allowed Elle to lead her out of the bathroom.

"Damn, do you girls work out?" Jessop was still dressed, but definitely liked the way the two agents looked undressed. Elle went behind Syd and grabbed her toned stomach.

"You like what you see?" She asked and nuzzled into Syd's neck. He smiled and nodded, his tongue practically hanging out of his mouth.

"Don't forget to share." Sydney muttered and moved over so she was sitting on Jessop's lap. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her in closer to him. When his lips were centimetres away from her Elle grabbed her gun from her nearby discarded purse.

"Get your damn hands the fuck off of her slime ball!" He let go of Sydney immediately and she scrambled to get dressed. Once she was dressed she pocketed the key card and held the gun while Elle dressed. She took the gun back off Syd and whacked him on the head with the butt of it. He slumped forward onto the floor and lay unconscious. Elle kicked him in the head before leaving.

"Are you okay?" She asked as they got back down into the club and she pulled her into a dark corner. She checked her wrists.

"We have to go." Sydney ordered, but Elle pulled her back.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, now come on." She dragged her out of the club and into the plain black van that Zac was waiting in with a grin on his face.

"Got the key card?"

"Just get us home. I'm going to be late for dinner. "Sydney changed in the back into the longer black dress she'd brought for her date. She sat in silence as Zac tried to get all the dirt on the mission. Elle however ignored him and so after a few minutes he gave up and ended with a single barb.

"The fantasy of every guy at SD-6 and I miss it!"

He felt Sydney's cold glare on his back and shivered. "Somebody just walked on my grave." He laughed.

"Oh great!" Elle replied. "You dug it already Syd?" She grinned as Syd smiled and her face lit up. They dropped her off round the corner from the restaurant ten minutes late.

"Sorry." She apologised as the waiter sat her opposite Danny. "Work stuff ran over. Elle just dropped me off." Danny nodded and forced a smile, but Syd saw right through it. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and shook his head. "You spend more time at work with her than you do with me. You, her and that other guy...Zac. I feel like I'm second best Syd."

She shifted uncomfortably. She'd hate to think what would happen if he found out what she had just been up to. "Danny, honey, you're the only man for me. Promise."

He held her hand and smiled. "I know. I'm just being stupid."

September 3rd 2000

The phone rang at two in the morning and Sydney groaned. Thankfully it wasn't a night that Danny had chosen to stay over. "Bristow." She answered, expecting Sloane.

"Syd. It's me. I really need someone right now. Everything's so fucked up." Elle cried down the phone. Sydney was already out of bed and heading for her clothes.

"I'll be right over."

She knocked on Elle's apartment door and waited in the chilly morning air for her to answer. When she did she had managed to stop crying, but it was blatant that she was upset.

Syd hugged her straight away and they walked slowly into the living room where they both collapsed onto the couch with Elle in tears again.

"She left Syd...she's gone. Amanda left me tonight." She sobbed into Syd's collar. Amanda was Elle's girlfriend and although they'd only met a few times Sydney had thought it would be Amanda who would cling to Elle, not the other way around.

"What happened?" Syd asked. Elle's sobs subsided and she shook her head.  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it. She left and I'm all alone Syd." Her hands were wandering lower down Sydney's back and her mouth had some how found Sydney's. Sydney pulled away, but ended up flat on her back on the floor with Elle on top of her. She captured her lips again, but this time Sydney pushed her away and scrambled to her feet. "Syd..."

Sydney shook her head. "I have to go." She was out the door like a speeding bullet and into her car before Elle could react. Elle punched her hand through the glass coffee table. What had she done?

September 9th 2000

Zac sat in the coffee store waiting for Sydney to enter. She'd taken a vacation from SD-6 and he hadn't seen her in six days. He'd found out what happened with Elle and he knew it was the reason Sydney was avoiding work.

"We have to talk."

"What's wrong?" She asked as she sat down opposite him. He chose his words carefully.

"It's about Elle and how she acted the other night." Sydney was on her feet and he had to grab her hand.

"Sydney, listen to me!" Zac demanded. "She's our partner. You two had an _unwanted experience_, but that doesn't mean you avoid her from now on! Please talk to her. She's really worried she's lost you as a friend. Sort this out before you go back to work."

"I'm planning to." She left him in the coffee shop and headed home to where Danny was cooking her dinner. She'd given him a key. Lately she felt they should get more serious.

September 10th 2000

Sitting in Sloane's office she was introduced to her new partner. Marcus Dixon. They'd had the odd conversation with him and knew he was a good agent. She'd changed partners insisting that she just wanted a smaller group. After all two's company and three's a crowd.

Zac wasn't happy at losing her. He told her that many times through the day. Elle was just avoiding her. She'd glance over every now and then, but generally she was keeping her distance.

When she did try to talk to her she walked away and started a conversation with Dixon. Zac noticed the gleam in his partner's eyes and shivered. She was up to something.

That night Sydney, Dixon, Zac and Elle were sent on a mission by Sloane to slip into a charity event being hosted by a man who had possession of a new form of truth serum which would prove invaluable to the 'CIA' and so Zac and Dixon were wearing tuxedo's accompanying Syd and Elle around the dance floor. As Sydney danced past Zac she whispered into his ear. "Now." He nodded and he and Dixon slipped off to work on the security system.

She and Elle snuck down a flight of stairs and into the first store cupboard they could find. They changed into guard uniforms and headed off to the underground lab that housed the truth serum.

The lab was empty of guards and only one scientist sat at his desk working on paperwork. Elle nodded towards the safe and then to the scientist. Sydney nodded and took out her gun.

As they approached him he turned around and squinted through his thick glasses. "Ah, good, they sent me a test subject. Well sit down and we'll start."

Syd's face became alarmed as he pushed her down into a chair. "Could you get the serum for me dear?" He asked Elle and handed her the safe key. A grin spread across her face and she retrieved the serum for him.

"Here you go." He rammed a portion of the foul sweet liquid down her throat and she coughed as it put her throat on fire.

"Now, to test how long it works for. We got nine hours yesterday!" The scientist smiled and patted Sydney on her shoulder. He turned to Elle. "Ask her questions frequently and note the time she can lie from..."

He paused when he saw Elle's gun aimed at him. "What are you doing?"

"Steeling the serum." Sydney clamped a hand to her mouth and shook her head. Elle smiled. The doc's serum could be _very _fun. They tied him up and made their escape.

They joined Dixon and Zac outside in the car and drove to the airport. "Okay, we got two flights. Dixon's and mine leaves in an hour, yours leaves in ten minutes. See you at home."

"But..." Sydney paused as she remembered she couldn't make up a valid excuse for not wanting to be with Elle. "Fine."

Syd and Elle sat in business class, which was surprisingly empty and rested on the comfy seats that were being paid for by SD-6.

"So that went well." Elle teased and Sydney scowled.

"You're awfully quiet. What's wrong? Is ickle Syd mad at me for letting the nasty mad scientist get hold of her?"

"What's wrong with me is that right now I should be at home with Danny, but instead I'm stuck on a plane above France with you!" She slumped back against her chair and sighed. She did not need some serum swimming around her veins right now.

"Why do you want to work with Dixon?" She asked as the stewardess passed. Sydney bit her lower lip, but couldn't help herself answering.

"Because he's not you." She answered. "He has a wife and kids and won't try and..."

"How do you feel about the other night?" She interrupted.

"I hate the way you're making me feel. I hate the fact that everything is different now. I hate that I can't get you out of my head..." She punched the seat in front of her. She knew that would slip out. She repeated punching it until Elle grabbed her arm.  
  
"Syd." She couldn't look her in the eye. "Syd!" She pulled her chin up to face her. "Things don't have to be weird, or different as long as you don't let them be." She pulled away and went to find something alcoholic.

When they arrived they were debriefed and by one a.m. they were allowed to leave SD-6, but Sloane stopped her. "Sydney, with this truth serum you're a liability. I thing you should stay in medical services until it wears off."

"I could keep an eye on her." Elle suggested. "She can stay with me at my place and I'll bring her to work tomorrow."

"Is that okay Sydney?" Sloane asked. She smiled and nodded, biting back her protest. Elle knew what she was doing. The drive to her apartment was silent and Sydney wished she could just curl up in a little ball and block Elle out.

They remained silent until they were in her apartment and then, as Syd went to walk into the spare room, Elle cornered her. "Why did you change partners?" Biting her tongue Sydney could taste the blood that ran from the wound she'd just caused. She wiped it and sighed.

"Here." Elle moved to help her and Syd expected her to hand her a cloth or lead her to the first aid kit, but instead she grasped Syd's lips with her own. Elle tasted the coppery blood and licked her lips as Sydney broke the kiss.

"Now, why did you change partners?" A mixture of truth serum, confusion and the lack of oxygen from the kiss was making it very hard for Sydney to think. She was tired of lying. Tired of fighting the serum, so she told the truth.

"Because I don't trust myself." She replied, avoiding Elle's curious expression. "I don't trust the way I feel about you. I have Danny and I can't risk that..." She stopped as Elle grew closer. Her lips trying to find Syd's again, but she pulled away. "I love Danny."

"Yeah, and I love you." Elle objected. "We've worked as a three for almost five years Sydney. I admit it's not easy now that you know, but we were partners Syd. You, me and Zac. Why change that?"

"Because I lo..." Sydney stopped herself. She wouldn't say it. She loved Danny. "You and Zac taught me everything I know. Every successful mission I do is because of you. Every day that I'm still alive is because of _you. _I love you and Zac like the brother and sister I never had, but that's it. And I have this stupid stuff in my blood so I can't lie to you."

Her face dropped and she left Sydney alone in the living room. Syd sighed with relief. The truth serum may stop her lying, but an agent like Sydney could easily _bend_ the truth. She owed that to Elle too.

As she headed to the front door, she didn't care about security she just needed to be far away from Elle, she heard Elle shout out to her. "I guess the truth serum stopped working on you."

Summoning up the courage she knocked on Elle's door. She needed to clear things once and for all. She needed to get the angelic woman out of her mind. She loved Danny. Elle was just a _distraction. _

Elle opened the door and shut it straight away. "Okay, I deserved that." It had been seven days since their conversation. Elle opened the door and finished the phone conversation she was having. "Okay, Zac. See you then."

"Mission?" Syd asked. She nodded.

"What do you want Bristow?" Elle's tone sent a chill through her. She'd only ever called her Bristow the first few months they'd met, when she had no respect for her, when they weren't friends.

"Nothing, this was a bad idea." She left and headed to the office. She needed work to keep her mind off things. She found Marshall in his office and smiled warmly at the man who made sure she was covered in a mission.

"So what gadgets have Zac and Elle got for their mission?" She asked. He looked perplexed at her comment.

"Um, Miss Bristow they're not on a mission. They've taken two days off for a small break...Paris I think they said...I hear it's a nice place...I've never been myself, but..."

"Thanks Marshall."

October 1st 2001

Walking through SD-6 Sydney clutched the file she'd gathered over the past two weeks. She could see Sloane in his office and he watched her as she approached him.

A grim expression on her face she set the file down on the table and barley looked him in the eye as she said, "This is everything I've gathered in two weeks on Agents Zachary Minear and Elliot Gable. I believe them to be working against SD-6 and the US government."

Sloane skimmed over the file. "Sydney, you are aware of the accusations you are making and the ramifications of making such allegations?"

"Yes sir. I am, although they are both my colleagues and my friends they are working against this organisation and our country. It's all in my report sir."

October 3rd 2001

Elliot Gable and Zachary Minear had vanished. They hadn't turned up for work after Sydney's report was handed to Sloane and SD-6 couldn't locate them. Somehow they'd been warned and had fled from SD-6.

Sydney felt hollow inside. Her partners were gone. They'd been working against her and their country for at least the better part of a year. Thinking back Sydney could recall all the little failures they'd had, or the times when they'd insisted on separating to get home. She'd told Danny that Elle and Zac had moved and had been insiders for another bank and he'd accepted that was what had caused her to mope all day and look at old photos of the three of them.

Now she was on a mission in London and was about to steal the schematics for a new weapon that was being made by a covert British terrorist group, when she heard a bullet being loaded into the chamber of the gun that had found its way to the base of her skull.

With the safe unlocked Zac grabbed the schematics and placed them in his rucksack. Elle held the gun. "C'mon Elle." He refused to look at Sydney. Elle didn't budge. "Elle!" She grabbed Sydney roughly by the arm and ignored Zac's protests as they made their way out of the office and into the underground parking lot.

Shoving Sydney into the back she sat with the gun firmly on her temple and Zac drove. "Stop." Elle ordered, as they were half way to their safe house. "Get out." She pushed Sydney out of the car and caused her to fall to the muddy grass below. She tried to retaliate, but Elle pointed the gun at her again. "Give me an excuse Bristow." The hurt in both women's eyes was evident; each felt the other had betrayed them.

"Why?" Sydney gasped through tears and the rain that beat relentlessly down on them. Good old British weather. "Why betray our country? After all that stuff you used to say about patriotism and defending your country! I believed you and you deceived me all this time. I thought you were my guardian angel. You used me!"

Elle fought back her own tears and tucked the gun away into her belt. "You'll never know Syd. How patriotic I am. How devoted to my country I am and how devoted I am to you. We couldn't tell you Sydney. But I never used you. I loved you."

"I hate you." Sydney screamed. "You want to kill me then kill me, because I will never forgive you, nor will I turn my back on my country." Zac looked to Elle as the first tears fell. She nodded and they got into the car, leaving Sydney in the merciless rain.

"I'm sorry Syd." Zac shook his head as they drove off, she'd never understand and she'd never forgive them.

October 30th 2001

Sitting in the CIA office with agent Vaughn next to her, Danny dead and her entire existence smashed to pieces that wouldn't fit together anymore, Sydney Bristow finished writing her statement and listened to agent Vaughn talk about another double. They were probably testing her and she argued as much, but the stranger smiled and reassured her that he trusted her. Something about him made her think of her angelic Elle. Perhaps he would watch over her; but just like Elle he'd probably betray her, but what if Elle and Zac hadn't? What if they knew what SD-6 really was?

"Do you have any agents by the names Minear or Gable?"  
  
Agent Vaughn shook his head. "No. I could check, but there aren't any at this branch."

"Oh. Thank you agent Vaughn." She rose to leave and shook her had to herself. If they'd been CIA doubles she could have forgiven them for keeping quiet, but they'd just been against the people they thought were SD-6. Against her.

Present Day

Vaughn sat stunned by the tale, Marshall seemed to be reliving Zac's betrayal, he and Marshall had been close and, just like Sydney, Marshall still hurt. Here father was blank as usual.

"You're not going." Vaughn said the first word. Sydney rose to her feet.

"Fine." Everyone turned to her with surprised, suspicious and disbelieving looks. "I need some time off work...I feel I need a vacation from work and the memories that come with it."

"Sydney, we both know why you want this vacation..." Dixon began, but Sydney interrupted.

Director Dixon, whether or not I have your permission I am taking the day off." Sydney headed to the door. "What you going to do? Fire me? I'll still get the day off."

Dixon blocked her exit. "Agent Weiss, I believe agent Bristow to be in no fit state to comply with the official secrets act. Arrest her." He stared her directly in the eye as he made the order. Weiss hesitantly approached Sydney from behind.

Sydney's eyes were almost pleading with Dixon. "I've helped you so many times before. It was better when you were just my partner." As Weiss restrained her arm Dixon replied.

"I'm grateful for the help you gave me, especially when I lost Diana. That's why I'm doing this Syd." She nodded in defeat as Weiss led her out of the room and towards the detainment cell both her mother and Sark had once occupied.

"I'm sorry Weiss."

"Hey, it's okay. Bad memories make me cranky too...you're not apologising for in there are you?" He tried to grab her other arm and pin her down but she was quicker and kneed him in the stomach and then once he was down she ran.

She ran past the other agency workers and clear out of the door. Once she'd changed into casual cloths she bought a blonde wig and green contact lenses.

She needed to contact Zac by three and after she phoned him to confirm she'd help them she headed to the one place she could rely on for unopposed help.

She knocked on the door and thankfully he answered, he was home from work. "Can I help you?" He asked as he held baby Mitchell.

"I hope so." Sydney sighed. "Marshall it's me, Sydney."

"Syd? Oh boy...you're...you're supposed to be arrested!" He argued. "Not that I want you locked up or anything, but it's for your own good. You shouldn't break the rules...how can I help?" He smiled and allowed her in.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Marshall had given Sydney everything she had asked for and she had gratefully kissed his cheek, as she was about to leave. Then Carrie had come home. When she saw Sydney she frowned and placed her hands on her hips threateningly. "Marshall! Agent Bristow is supposed to be under arrest..."

"Carrie...please, no one but Marshall understands why I'd want to take a risk like this, Elliot and Zac betrayed us all. I'm going to make them pay...now get out of my way." Carrie glanced from Marshall, who wore a surprisingly firm expression, to Sydney and stepped out of the way of the door.

"Thank you."

Sydney was dressed in plain black as she sat in the dimly lit bar and waited for Zac and Elliot. When she felt a gun push in her back she stiffened and then heard a familiar, suave, British accent mutter in her ear. "Come with me Sydney."

"This isn't the best time Sark." She hissed, but followed when he dug the gun further into her back. He took her outside of the bar and into an alley.

"Give me the artefact." He ordered as he aimed his gun at her head.

"What artefact?" Sydney was puzzled. "I'm not here with the CIA Sark. I should be under arrest right now. I have no idea what you want..." She stopped as his cold, acquisitive eyes wandered over her form.

"I wouldn't say that agent Bristow. Two years of games and then two years of absence; Absence does make the heart grow..."

"Colder." Sark felt the gun at his temple as the woman behind him spoke. "Do you have what we agreed Sark?"

"I believe the plan was that I got Sydney and then you got your precious file." She struck him over the back of the head. "Actually I want both." She grabbed Sydney's arm and pulled her to her car. They were speeding away from Sark moments later.

"You traded me to Sark?" Sydney's patience had expired long ago and the brunette couldn't get the image of Sark and his roaming eyes out of her mind. The car skidded to a halt in a back alley and Elliot stared out of the windshield as she spoke. "The deal was I got you to turn up for Sark and he gave us the file we wanted, but while he was making his _arrangements _we stole the file anyway. You were the only way we could get to him."

"What file?" Sydney at least wanted to know what she'd been used for.

"A file Sark had on Zac and I and our employers...I could have called it off, we already had the file. I didn't because I wanted to see you again...I've missed you."

"You wanna' get a drink?" Elliot seemed momentarily stunned by Sydney's question as though she'd just been asked if she wanted to go to Jupiter.

"Don't you have to report in?"

"I should be in a CIA holding cell right now. I need a drink before I go back." Sydney explained. Elliot nodded and started the car.

"My hotel has a good bar."

"How's the room service?"


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but I've had loads of coursework to get through and I've been ill, I'll try and write a longer chapter soon.

When Sydney woke up it was still dark outside and it took her a few moments to realize where she was. When she felt Elliot stir behind her she froze. What the hell had she done? She tried hard to remember the previous night's events and then saw the litter of bottles around the hotel room. She looked at the bottle and empty tub that lay near the bed and sighed. Tequila and ice cream. Never a good mix for Sydney.

Her cell phone started ringing mercilessly and caused the pounding in Sydney's head to increase. She grabbed it and answered in a whispered hurry. She was far from ready to confront Elliot yet.

"Syd? Where are you? I've been worried sick..." Vaughn's raised voice was hurting her more than the cell phone had.

"Vaughn...talk quietly." She hissed as Elliot began to stir. "I have a...headache." Saying she had a hangover wouldn't go down too well with the frantic agent. "I didn't do the job yesterday. Sark interrupted me and Elliot never turned up."

"You're not arrested anymore." Sydney almost laughed at the tone of Vaughn's voice. Only in her line of work could her ex boyfriend say something like that in normal conversation. She felt a pang of guilt as she remembered Vaughn and then the woman she was lying beside.

"I'll be at work in a couple of hours, bye." She hung up and crept out of bed. After finding her clothes, all but one sock, she scribbled a note down for Elliot and left the hotel by the cover of the early morning darkness.

"Sydney!" Dixon was scowling as she entered the briefing room. She cringed as she suppressed the urge to vomit.

"I didn't do the mission okay"

"You disobeyed orders, escaped from custody and come in looking like you've had ten rounds with the world heavyweight boxing champ and you expect me to believe you did nothing?" The others in the briefing room sat silently as Dixon shouted at Sydney. Vaughn was close to backing her up, but his wife being beside him stopped him.

"Actually it was ten rounds with a tequila bottle." Sydney snapped. "So please Dixon, stop shouting at me. I feel bad enough without your shouting, or concern." She slumped into a chair and Dixon carried on with the briefing without argument.

"As I was saying, we have two new CIA agents transferring here today, I believe they're friends of Miss Reed's..." He stopped as Lauren smiled at the two people who had entered the room. Dixon, Jack and Marshall stared disbelievingly at the two people and when Sydney turned around she almost groaned.

"Director Dixon, these are agents Elliot and Zac. I believe you already know them."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Sydney left the briefing room quickly as Elliot went to sit down beside her. When she went to follow her Vaughn rose to his feet and followed her first.

"Syd, are you okay?" She stopped and shook her head.

"I need some time...maybe a few days to clear my..."

"Sydney." Elliot walked up beside Vaughn. "I got your note. You were really out of it last night, huh? Nothing happened Syd..." Sydney grabbed her arm and pulled her into Marshall's office, slamming the door as Vaughn tried to enter.

"You turn up in my life after four years...you force me to help you, disobey Dixon and then we get drunk and I...I have no idea what happened last night, all I know is tequila and ice cream is not a good mix for me." Elliot shook her head.

"We went back to the hotel, had a hell of a lot to drink and then we got talking about old times...you tried to hit on me and I stopped you." Sydney shook her head in disbelief. "I'm telling you Sydney, you were up for it, but I stopped you. I respect you that much. You passed out and I put you to bed." Sydney sighed as she slumped into Marshall's chair.

"When I confronted you about being a double agent you said a lot of things that I couldn't understand. I've been through it all now and when Dixon found out about me I knew how he felt, I know how much it hurts to feel betrayed. I still remember what you said '_you'll never know Syd. How patriotic I am. How devoted to my country I am and how devoted I am to you._"

"And I remember what you said." Elliot looked bitterly at the floor and bit her lower lip. "You said you hated me and you said you'd never forgive me."

"It's hard to forgive, even when you the know the truth."

"You never said that last night." Elliot said sourly. "Maybe we should have another drink. At least last night you weren't worried about the past."

"If I drank I probably wouldn'tremember it and I'm sick of forgetting my life. I had to forget about you and Zac when I was with Dixon. I had to forget about you when I was with Vaughn. I lost two years of my life...I am sick of forgetting my life! I just want to remember!"

Marshall walked into his office and found Sydney and Elliot hugging. "Ah...I...um...I'll come back." Elliot burst out laughing.

"I forgot how funny he could be."

"C'mon, we should go back to the briefing room." Sydney and Elliot found the briefing room practically empty except for Jack, Zac and Vaughn.

"My daughter has been hurt repeatedly over the past four years..." Jack's gaze settled on Vaughn. "I will not have Elliot hurt her again. I remember her...unhealthy interest in my daughter and I will not..." Sydney cleared her throat loudly and all three men turned to see her.

"Syd, you're father was just threatening me. It's just like old times." Zac grinned as he walked over to her. "So, with us being CIA and all, does that mean we can all be buds again?"

"How does dinner at my place sound?" Sydney smiled as Zac took her into his arms and raised her off the ground. "Sounds great."

Sydney ran to the door as she heard it knocking. When she opened it she found Zac and Elliot standing in her doorway. "Come on in." She led them to the living room and went to serve dinner.

Three hours later Zac was asleep on her couch and Sydney and Elliot were reminiscing about one of their earliest missions together.

"You were so scared when that guy pulled the gun on you." Elliot said teasingly.

"Yeah, until you dropped ten feet and landed on top of him. You were my guardian angel, always dropping out of the sky. I can remember you did it at lest six times."

"I guess you're remembering for once." As Elliot leaned in to kiss her Zac fell off the couch with a thud and sprung awake.

"I also remember his timing." Sydney laughed. Elliot and Sydney laughed as Zac looked puzzled.

Suddenly three cell phones started ringing simultaneously and all three agents grabbed them. All received the same message. They were needed fast.

When they arrived at the CIA base of operations they were greeted by a mass of people scampering around and rushing to relay information to other people.

"Syd!" Dixon rushed over to her. "We have a serious situation." He led them to his office where Jack, Marshall and Weiss were waiting, solemn looks on their faces.

Dixon pressed the enter button on his keyboard and Sydney noticed her father's cell phone was attached to the computer. They were playing one of his voicemail messages.

"Jack it's Vaug...senator didn't kill himsel...found evidence...Lauren double...oh no...back." It cut off and Sydney's eyes darted to her father for an explanation.

"It was a bad reception, but he clearly said he had evidence that Senator Reed didn't kill himself, and Lauren is a double agent." Jack explained. "I had some suspicions that I was following up myself, they support Vaughn's claim. We intercepted a call on echelon, it was between Miss Reed and a man we believe to be Sark. At this point it is unlikely that Vaughn is still alive, but..." Sydney couldn't take anymore. She ran from the office and out of the building into the sunny park outside. The park where families picnicked and children played, coupled laughed, without any knowledge of the CIA or the Covenant or the arrogant Mr. Sark. She hated them all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and pulled away from it. "Leave me alone." Elliot folded her arms to keep her hands away from Sydney.  
"It's going to be..." Sydney pulled out her gun and pushed her towards the shadows, away from prying civilian eyes.

"You knew Lauren before coming here. It's seems a bit convenient that you and Zac turn up at the same base she works at, and when the net was closing in on her."

"I would never betray my country." Elliot objected and pushed Sydney away, grabbing her gun as she did. "I went through hell for my country. I had to leave you and my old life at SD-6, and as for Lauren it hurts me too. I've known her longer than I've known you and I trusted her. You want to know how we met? She was my girlfriend in college." Sydney was dumbstruck by the revelation.

"But she married Vaughn." Elliot shook her head.

"It was college Sydney, it was just a phase, but it still hurts. Up until a few minutes ago I would have trusted her with my life, so don't call me a traitor. The only thing in my life I have left to be loyal to is my country. Your father had a lead on Sark, we think he's somewhere in Rome..."

"I'm sorry." Sydney pushed her forward and knocked her head off the stonewall. She fell to the ground with a grunt and lay dazed but conscious. "I can't trust you anymore Elliot."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Sorry for the delay with this story (if my friends stopped making me go out I'd get more done). I'm really going to try and finish this very soon as I have mock GSCEs coming up soon so I won't be able to post regularly.

Sydney stood watching the empty house that had once housed Vaughn and his wife. She felt betrayed by Elliot, again. She knew she shouldn't have trusted her again, shouldn't have let her in again; shouldn't have dared to love her again.

Once again she was on her own, uncertain of who to trust. She had no guardian angel to love and protect her. Lauren had stolen him while she knew Sydney was being tortured mercilessly until she cracked.

Part of Sydney knew she'd cracked a long time ago. The day she found Danny's corpse. That was when everything changed. She still missed him even when she was with Vaughn.

She would see him sometimes, when she needed comfort, but she had never told anyone, especially not Vaughn. They would have either had her go for counselling or spent weeks giving her sympathetic looks and pitiful glances.

She saw him when she needed him the most. When she found out about project Christmas, when she found out her mother was alive, when Sark had forced her to work with him. She even knew he was with her while she was held captive by the Covenant. In her mind she could remember fragments of a conversation they'd had. She had found comfort in that since the drug therapy had allowed her to remember it, but lately as she remembered more of the conversation it disturbed her.

"Why fight it Sydney? Just give in, let the doctor do his job and have a new life. Free from the pain of the CIA, your father, Vaughn, and all the other unnecessary complications."

"_You're not Danny."_

"_Oh but I am Syd. Do you really think I didn't know about you and SD-6? What it truly was and what you did? Why do you think the Covenant want you so badly Sydney?"_

"_Danny is dead." _

_The man in Danny's form, using Danny's voice bent down to her level and shook his head. "No Sydney. I'm not. Do you know who I am? I am the covenant!" _

Sydney shivered at the memory of the conversation. She had long ago reassured herself that the man had been lying and was some sort of trick by the Covenant.

She looked out the window once more and found a man watching her on the other side of the street. He was tall, with brown hair and a warm smile and his very presence soothed Sydney's turmoil. Danny was watching over her again. Unlike Vaughn he really was a guardian angel.

Then she noticed the puddle forming at his feet as the rain beat against his coat and dripped from his hair and clothes. Angel's didn't make puddles; angels didn't have handguns tucked into a holster beneath their coats. Angels didn't run away when you got out of the car.

She chased after the stranger until she lost him in a sea of rush hour traffic. Grabbing her cell phone she dialled Dixon at the CIA. "He's...somehow...I can't believe it...but he was there..."

"Syd?" Dixon's reassuring and real voice calmed her enough to finally splutter out one sentence before slumping to the curb and letting the tears run freely. "Danny's alive."


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

AS Dixon drove up next to Sydney's car he found her sitting on the curb, her hair and clothes soaking from exposure to the rain. She sat sobbing into her hands as he approached her. "C'mon Syd, I'll take you home. You're obviously not in..."

"I'm not mad Dixon. I saw him. When he saw I was looking he ran. I chased him right onto the main road. Check the CCTV in the area. It will show me running after Danny." She choked through tears. "He's alive, and he runs the Covenant."

Several hours later Sydney sat in Marshall's office with a cold cup of coffee in her hands and tears staining her face. Marshall sat showing her pictures of little Mitchell trying to take her mind off things while Dixon had an IT specialist check the CCTV from the area Sydney had chased Danny in.

When the door opened her father stood there with a grim look on his face. "We've made a positive ID on the man you chased. He is Daniel Hecht. Dixon wants us all in the briefing room." Sydney nodded and he left. He couldn't console his daughter. After all the betrayal she had survived and all the lies he doubted she could easily get over Danny being alive and he hoped, for his daughter's sake, that Danny wasn't the Covenant leader.

When Sydney slumped down into her chair she saw Elliot and Zac sitting in Lauren and Vaughn's usual seats and a fresh wave of tears threatened to wash over her. Dixon began. "Now, everyone in this room, except Weiss, knew Daniel Hecht. He was Sydney's fiancé and a sleeper agent named Shepard was told to kill him. His body was clearly identified and he was buried. Tonight we have eye witness and CCTV to prove that Daniel Hecht is alive..."

"When I was being tortured by the covenant he was there. He'd try to get me to give up and become Julia Thorne. He said we would be happy again. After the drug therapy I received I remembered his visits, but I've seen him many times before since he died. I thought I was just imagining him. He told me he _was_ the Covenant."

Zac's glare burnt into Elliot as she tried to conceal her guilt. "Tell them." Everyone's eyes snapped to the two agents as Elliot scowled.

"They don't have clearance." Elliot snapped. She didn't want to face Sydney finding out that she had kept something else away from her. Dixon was about to object when Elliot shook her head and began her explanation.

"Whilst working at SD-6 our CIA handler told Zac and I that there was a man connected to one of the agents that was vital to project black hole. He was Daniel Hecht. The last in the Rhambaldi blood line." Sydney allowed her words to sink in and knew the full meaning of them.

"He was with me to create the second coming. When SD-6 wanted him dead he couldn't just seduce me, so he stole my eggs and got me to work for him...and they say chivalry is dead." She muttered bitterly.

"The reason Danny never liked me was because I confronted him with what I knew. He knew it was a matter of time before the CIA found out about Sydney's connection to Rhambaldi. He had himself cloned using the prototype of project Helix. When Shepard came he killed the clone and Danny went into hiding."

"Now he controls the Covenant and all its resources." Dixon continued his brief. "If Daniel Hecht wants to bring the second coming then he'll want Sydney. I think we should put Sydney into witness protection straight away."

"I agree." Jack added. "It's not safe for her out in the open."

"No. Vaughn's still..."

"Vaughn is not your priority right now. We have a lead on his location. Elliot and Jack will be leaving for the rescue mission in two hours." Sydney went to rise but three armed CIA agents stood behind her. "I'm placing you under CIA custody for now. It's where you'll be safe."

"From Danny."

"From your pride."

She was escorted to the cell that had once housed her mother and Sark. She knew that before the Covenant had got her she would have never belonged there, but since she'd been Julia Thorne and learnt of what she'd done for the Covenant she felt just as putrid and guilty. Maybe she was no better than her mother. Maybe it was in her genes to be like Irina Derevko. A ruthless and feared assassin who would go to any length to get what she wanted.

When her father came to see her she said as much. He looked away from her eyes and shook hid head. "You are ten times the woman she is, never forget that. You are loved..."

"Danny loved me, he betrayed me. Elliot loved me, she betrayed me. Will loved me, he might as well be dead now, he isn't Will anymore. Noah loved me and...I killed him. Vaughn loved me and look at all the pain I've put him through. Anyone who gets close to me ends up hurt or betraying me..."

"I'm doing okay." Jack replied. His cold gaze settled on his daughter.

"Dad, you've only been close to me since you lost me and you have betrayed me since I was five years old." She said bitterly. He nodded in cold acceptance and left to do his mission with Elliot.

On the plane they sat in silence and Jack looked over the mission brief once more. "I need to know I can rely on you." He said suddenly and caught Elliot by surprise.

"Just because Vaughn loves Sydney doesn't mean my jealousy will get the better of this mission. Loosing Vaughn after everything that's happened would kill Sydney, so I'm bringing Vaughn back tonight, even if I have to risk my life to get him to her."

"When Sydney first introduced us at her birthday party I knew you'd protect her and I knew you truly did love her. I know you would have been better for her than Danny." Jack explained.

"Yeah, but then you knew what he really wanted. She still has no idea that when she introduced me to you that she was introducing a CIA agent to her handler." Elliot replied. "If she found out she'd hate us both."

"Then she can't find out."

A/N: It may seem a little far-fetched bringing Danny in but I promise I will make it work. Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my work.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: I'm really sorry that my chapters are getting shorter but I'm trying my best to post as often as I can. Trying to write when I have my GCSE mocks in three weeks is not easy. I'll try and get it finished by the weekend.

Chapter Eight

Sitting in the small and sterile prison room Sydney had nothing to do but think of what had put her there. Years of secrets, betrayal, and loss. She'd been through countless aliases, seduced countless men, told a million lies and killed as many enemies. She really was no better than her mother, or Sark, or any other previous occupant of her cell.

When the lights went out she jumped to her feet and stood poised to defend herself against any unknown enemies that lurked in the darkness. When the cell door opened she was rushed by at least three large men and tackled to the floor. She cried out as she felt a hypodermic pierce the skin of her forearm. She felt nauseous as she was hauled to her feet and dragged out of the cell and through the dark CIA building. She could see a large number of armed men guarding the workers who lay on the floor. They'd been raided and Sydney was the prize.

Elliot sat in the CIA issue van with her old handler and the father of the woman she would do anything for, including rescuing the love of her life. "I should have told Sydney." She mumbled, more to herself than to Jack. "I should have warned her about Danny."

"It would have meant blowing your cover, and Zac's."

"Vaughn's a good man at least. I went to his wedding you know. I was glad Lauren had someone to take care of her. I had no idea that the man I was meeting loved the same woman I did. That we both longed to have her back in our lives."

Jack stared absently out of the front window and sighed. "I had my suspicions about Miss Reed, but I never told anyone. Just like I never told Sydney about Danny. I guess I didn't learn from my mistake." Elliot shook her head and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't a mistake Jack. You had to let her find out herself. We all have to do things we don't like, or that we're not proud of, but that's life. Ninety nine percent of the time it isn't easy, but telling Sydney would have endangered her further. Four years ago she wasn't ready to face Danny."

"I still don't think she is now." Jack's eyes glistened with tears, but the senior agent made no attempt to conceal them. Elliot was his agent; he'd trained her, relied upon her and trusted her for as long as they'd known each other. He felt no weakness in crying in front of her. She'd seen him in worse situations.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: I'm really sorry that my chapters are getting shorter but I'm trying my best to post as often as I can.

Chapter Nine

Sydney was confused about two things. The first was why she couldn't move and the second was as to why Lauren was standing over her with a smug grin on her face. "You're awake." The first problem became clear as she saw the restraints that held her arms above her head.

"Where's Vaughn?" She tried to sound aggressive, but it came out as a weak mumble. Lauren's smile vanished.

"He's all you ever think about. We could have been friends Sydney but you had to be bitter and still in love with him. You were more fun as Julia." Sydney's eyes widened at Lauren's comment. "We were _good_ friends when you were Julia."

"Ah, my two favourite girls." Danny stood by Lauren, his arm around her waist. " It's such a vile thought that that cretin Vaughn has had you both." Sydney ignored him and the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Where's Vaughn?" She choked out for a second time.

A sly grin spread across his cold features. "Elliot and your devoted father are planning on rescuing him within the hour; then we'll all be here and the real fun can start."

Elliot stood patiently in the shadows of a large warehouse. She could see Vaughn tied to a chair in the centre of the room. He looked beaten and bruised and his eyes were closed. Up until then the mission had been too easy. She'd entered virtually unchallenged. She looked at her watch. She'd been away from Syd for nearly ten hours and she needed to get back to her, even if she was taking the love of Syd's life back with her.

She rushed to Vaughn and stopped as Lauren emerged from a shaded corner. "Hello Elle, not with Sydney? I'd have thought she'd come. It's pitiful you know. She loves Vaughn, _my_ husband and you're besotted with her."

"Don't forget you're infatuation with me." Elliot grinned as Lauren wavered. "C'mon Lauren, you never got over me. I love Syd and so does your husband. You can't stand that everyone loves Syd and not you." Elliot quietened as Lauren aimed the gun at her chest.

"And I have you all. Danny has Syd and I have you. So I'm _very_ happy Elle." Her finger started to pull the trigger.

"You won't shoot me."

"Love hurts, Elle." Vaughn's eyes shot open as he heard the shot and watched Elliot crumple to the floor.

When Elliot opened her eyes she was sitting up tied to a chair with Jack facing her, tied and gagged. Sydney next to him and Vaughn sat beside Elliot. Danny and Lauren stood in the corner and grinned. "Play time."

Sydney's cheeks were stained with tears and Jack's lip was cut. Elliot watched as Lauren pulled a seat beside her and Danny sat beside Sydney. "Now everyone's here I think it's time for a little group therapy."


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Ten

"Syd, do you know who Elliot's handler was? When you were at SD-6, blindly risking your life, helping the very people you despised?" Danny muttered in her ear. "None other than your devoted father. They both lied to you Sydney; they lied to you and left you. Then I left, and Will and Francie, even Vaughn abandoned you. He couldn't even wait two years before he was jumping into bed with the first blonde he could find." Sydney let her tears run freely down her cheeks. She had no fight left, after countless years of deceit and tragedy and pain she simply gave in. She couldn't care whether she lived or died.

Lauren turned to Vaughn next. "Do you know where Sydney spent the other night?" Sydney's eyes bulged in alarm. "She was with Elliot." Vaughn's bruised and bloodied features darkened as he saw the guilt etched on Sydney's face. She found a new strength within her, the only thing that had kept her going before, when she was at SD-6 and when she was missing, it was Vaughn. She couldn't lose him.

"Vaughn we didn't…"

"You were with her? You said she didn't turn up! You liar! I'm starting to see the family resemblance…" He croaked out. Jack scowled.

"At least Sydney has a father, I didn't get my self killed by doing something stupid like trying to apprehend Derevko..."

"No, you just fucked her!" Vaughn spat.

"Hey!" Elliot snapped, defending her handler.

"Aw, poor little agents. All at each other's throats." Danny mocked and then motioned for two men in dark clothing to untie Jack and Vaughn. "Take them to the basement. The room at the far end." He walked over to Sydney while Lauren got Elliot. "And you two ladies can settle your differences in your own room. Far away form Jack and that cretin, to tell you the truth my money's on Jack killing him within the hour."

Danny pulled Sydney to her feet and Lauren had two men drag Elliot in the opposite direction. Sydney followed with her eyes. "Don't worry sweetie, Lauren's just gonna' play with her for a little while."

He took Sydney to a small room in the basement. It held two single beds and nothing else and he threw her down on one. "You're pathetic Sydney. You used to have strength. You used to be a player, now you're just a bitter, weak, spoilt brat. You should have been harder to break." Danny shouted as she lay motionless on her back, staring at the cracking and peeling paint on the ceiling. "Elliot knew about me, so did your father, they lied to you Syd. They let you be hurt and used…they don't care about you. They took you for a fool. You were so like your old self when you were Julia, but better. You lived life the way it should be lived…however the hell you wanted to. "

"Julia Thorne is no longer a part of me." She muttered coldly. "Neither are you."

Danny laughed cruelly and shook his head. "Don't believe for a second that there is no part of Julia Thorne left inside you Syd. She was you. You remembered everything then and you were just like me. Just like Lauren. Just like you mom. Guess blood is thicker than water, huh?" He left her in the dark little room with the peeling ceiling, with her tears and broken spirit and she stayed on her own until Lauren brought Elliot back to her.

When she tossed Elliot onto the second bed she lingered in the doorway as Sydney sat up from her curled position and looked at the motionless woman. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air and her tank top revealed she'd been beaten and her lip was cut and coated in dry blood.

"You know Lauren, you might have mentioned you were into S&M when we were together. I might not have got bored and dumped you." She grinned as Lauren slammed her against the wall. "Oh c'mon. You're not even trying now." Lauren paused as she went to strike her and turned to look at Sydney as she sat watching everything. Her eyes were hollow and lifeless and she looked like a small child witnessing something they couldn't stop.

"Hey Sydney." She stroked a loose strand of hair behind Sydney's ear. "How about you and I become a little more acquainted?" Sydney stared straight passed her. Her cold gaze unwavering.

"No!" Elliot objected. She tried to jump Lauren but could barely move and so Lauren easily pushed her back down on to the bed and grinned at her weakened state.

"Danny won't let you hurt her." She panted as she tried to catch her breath. "He still loves her, I know he won't let you have her." Lauren shook her head, causing her blonde locks to bounce slightly.

"Sydney isn't playing nice. He thinks some…_shock _tactics should get her back to her old self." Sydney didn't resist as Lauren dragged her to her feet and pushed her out the door, slamming it shut with Elliot still inside. "We've got a lot to catch up on Sydney. Danny thinks it's time for you to find out the truth about Julia Thorne, not just the rubbish Kendall told you. There are two sides to every story Sydney and I doubt you'll like my version."


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Eleven

Sydney winced as Lauren pushed her to the floor of a large room on the second floor. Looking around she felt a vague recognition of her environment. Lauren sat down on the sofa in the room that faced a wide-screen TV. The front room had a general living room feeling. She looked to the left and saw a door. "The bedroom." She muttered. Lauren nodded.

"You lived here when you weren't in Rome." She explained. "You, me and Danny. We were a family. Then Danny made me go out with Vaughn. I lost you both. Then we were together at the CIA, but you didn't even remember me. You just hated me because I had Vaughn."

Sydney stood up cautiously and walked into the bedroom. Lauren followed and watched as she went to a photo frame by the bed. It was a picture of her, Lauren and Danny. She looked at the smiling stranger with her arms around Lauren and Danny. She was Julia Thorne. She had the better life.

"That was a year ago." Lauren stood behind her. "You were working for Kendall Sydney but you were our double agent. You fed them information, you knew I was with Vaughn and you only turned and wiped your memory when you found out about the box."

"I would have warned Vaughn." Sydney muttered without effort. "I would never hurt him." Lauren shook her head.

"That's not what you did."

Julia Thorne sat in her car and watched as Vaughn got out of his car and opened the passenger door for his companion. She knew who it would be before she even saw the blonde get out. He and Lauren kissed and went into the restaurant, leaving Julia alone in tears.

When Lauren returned to the large house she shared she found Julia sitting in her room. "The man you were sent to seduce…" Lauren sighed as she removed her thick jumper.

"I should have told you it was Michael Vaughn." She sat next to Julia and hugged her. "I'm sorry." Julia scowled and pushed her down with force.

"I'm not jealous of you, I'm jealous of him." Lauren sighed and shook her head.

"Julia you have Danny."

"I want you too." She pouted and allowed Lauren to sit up.

"And you have me love, but I have to do this." Lauren explained.

'Have you slept with him yet?" Sydney whispered in her ear, causing the blonde to blush and shake her head. "He's won't satisfy you I like I can." Sydney purred. "I'll prove it."

Sydney jumped away from the blonde behind her and shook her head. "No…you…me…no!" Lauren remained where she stood and sighed.

"We all loved each other; you me and Danny. You let yourself be free and you were happy, whether you remember it or not."

Sydney shook her head and paced the room. "No…no…no…you're a liar!" She only stopped when Lauren grabbed her shoulders.

"You think it's hard for you to accept this? I've had to try and act normal around you for the last few months and it has been killing me inside."

"I want to go back to my cell now." Sydney refused to look at her and Lauren shook her head.

"Fine go running back to Elliot for comfort. You don't even remember what you did to her when you were Julia, but she does and no matter what she says she will always hate you for it."


	12. Chapter 12

**Title:** Skeletons in the closet

**Summary:** Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

**Spoiler:** 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

**Rating:** PG-13

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who's reviewed my story to let me know people are still interested in it. Also there isn't a set pairing right now, but there may be in the end.

Chapter Twelve

When Sydney collapsed onto her bed Elliot looked over to her with tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" Sydney looked up at her and found her drying her tears.

"I'm fine, Lauren told me a few home truths that's all. What about you?" Elliot looked at her hands as she answered.

"She just reminded me of a few…Julia."

Sydney froze at her comment and Elliot shook her head. "You know I'd convinced myself it really wasn't you. You weren't Julia Thorne you just looked like her, but it was you…everything that happened was you."

"I have no memory of being Julia Thorne. Whatever I did to you…"

"What?" She interrupted. "It doesn't count anymore because you don't remember what you did? The pain I still feel inside of me doesn't matter anymore?" She stared blankly at the ceiling. "You were a double agent against the CIA, you were everything you hated and yet you were in full control, they never brain washed you, you just snapped."

"Tell me." Sydney choked out through tears. "What did I do to you?"

Elliot stared past her and looked at the wall as she told her.

Elliot snuck behind the guards at the Covenant facility she was in and knocked them out from behind. Stealing a uniform she placed a key card in a nearby elevator and cursed, as it wouldn't open. "C'mon, c'mon." She muttered and froze as she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

She looked around to find a blonde standing behind her with a gun on clear display in a holster. "Here, let me." She leant forward and swiped her card in the elevator.

"Thanks." Elliot mumbled and got in the elevator. The blonde followed. When her cell phone rang Elliot knew it had to be important.

"Elliot, they know you're in there. Get out now."

"Don't worry the matter's taken care off." She hung up and smiled at the blonde.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" She recognised the attractive blonde from somewhere. The blonde looked at her and leant in closer.

"Is that a line or are you being serious?"

"Syd?" She asked cautiously. The woman's eyes enlarged at the mention of 'Syd' and she pulled out her gun, ramming it into her side and pinning her to the ground.

"I do recognise you…Elle…" A small smile spread on her face. "You betray me, you lied to me and you used me." She growled. "You're going to regret that painfully."

When the elevator door opened the security guards waiting for the intruder found Miss Thorne in it with a young woman lying unconscious on the floor. "Try to do your jobs gentlemen. Take her to my car. Now."

When Elliot woke up she found the blonde watching her. "It's been a long time Elliot." She smiled as Elliot rose to her feet and went for the gun that had been hidden under her shirt. Holding it in her hand she aimed it at the CIA agent.

"Looking for something?" She teased.

"Why are you working for the Covenant?" Elliot asked confused at how the virtuous Sydney could have been turned.

"Because I'm loyal to their cause. My associated told me everything; I'm the chosen one. I'll deliver everything that Rhambaldi worked for; my associates are the only people in my life who have wanted me...just so you know, you're only being told this because you'll be dead soon, but don't worry it wont be too soon."

Julia hadn't lied on prolonging her death. Two weeks later Elliot still lay in the basement of a large house. Locked in a room with two small beds and nothing more. She lay battered and bruised with dry blood coating her lip. Julia had physically tortured her, starved her and played endless mind games. She'd let her escape twice, but it was always so she could hunt her down in the house and have the pleasure of destroying her optimism all over again.

Elliot had broken the last time she had escaped. She'd passed up two other escape opportunities since; even if they were genuine she had no spirit left in her to tell her to run escape. She was exhausted and in pain, and thankfully had been fed that morning, so she lay on the small bed that had become her haven and prayed that she could die that day.

When night fell she heard Julia approach and sat in the corner of the bed huddled in a ball. She hated looking at the woman who had so much power over her, the woman who looked so much like Sydney and acted as cold as stone.

She slammed the door shut and slumped onto the bed. "She's a fucking whore." She cried and Elliot realised she was in tears. "Going with _him._" Elliot uncurled herself and sat up watching her carefully.

"She'll say she has to because it's her mission, but I know she wants him more. I've been in his fan club. He's nothing compared to me. I could kill him in an instant before he even knew I was there." She turned to Elliot and a feral grin spread on her lips. "Or I could teach her a lesson."

Elliot cowered at the look in her eyes and screamed as Julia advanced on her and crushed her lips against her own. The forced kiss renewed a fire deep inside Elliot. The woman wasn't Sydney, she was cold and heartless and evil. Sydney was nothing like her.

Elliot pushed her away and scrambled to the door. She groaned as she found it locked and Julia grabbed her arm and flung her backwards onto the floor. Pinning her down she tried to kiss her again but Elliot bit into her tongue and Julia reeled back in pain. Elliot took her chance and grabbed the keys from inside Julia's pocket and then after slamming her head off the floor she ran to the door and unlocked it.

Once she was out of the room she locked it and remembered her previous escape attempts. She remembered all of the wrong turns she had taken and all of the right ones and was out of the house and running through a nearby forest in minutes. She ran blindly in the dark through the thick undergrowth and after an hour of running she stopped in exhaustion.

The adrenaline had run out and the pain in her ribs and legs increased ten fold. She stumbled through the forest for another two hours until she came to the edge of a hill and found a road at the bottom. Trying to go down it she slipped and slide down the hill, banging off rocks and trailing through the dirt.

She lay in the ditch that she fell in and slipped unconscious. She was an agent and she had stamina but the pain of two weeks of torture had caught up with her and she couldn't force herself to open her eyes, so she lay there for half an hour until a truck stopped near her and two men jumped out to rush to her side.

"My name is…Elliot Gable. I need to use a phone…" The two men helped her to her feet and carried her to the truck where one of them let her use his cell phone.

"This is officer 2300749, calling for connection. Confirmation: night owl." She spoke to the operator and she was directed to the CIA. "I don't know where I am. I've been abducted for the past two weeks; maybe more I'm not sure." She calmly listened to the CIA operative on the other end and found out from the truckers where she was. Within hours she was in a CIA safe house waiting for a contact.

When Zachary Minear walked through the door she sighed and hugged him. "I thought I'd die. I'd given up even living…" She sobbed onto his shoulder and a fresh wave of tears hit her. "The woman who kidnapped me she looked like…like Syd."

He shook his head. "I contacted Dixon, he's a CIA director now. Sydney couldn't have done it. She became a CIA agent and she was a double. She found out all about SD-6 a couple of weeks after she turned us in." Elliot broke down crying again and kicked the nearby coffee table.

"I knew it wasn't her. The woman she was…soulless. Syd's a CIA agent?" She beamed and hugged him. "She'll understand why we hid our status from her. We can all be together again…what?"

Zac looked anywhere but at his partner and best friend. "She died Elle. In a house fire. Her housemate was killed and cloned and she killed Syd and burned the house down. She's…she's gone…"

"No…no…NO!" She screamed and slumped to the floor. Of all the pain and torture she had endured Sydney's death was the greatest thing that hurt her. "She has to be alive."

"Jack looked, there's no trace of her. He's still looking but it's in vain. She's gone Elle. Her ashes were spread in the ocean. Her handler threw them out, they were…close."

Elliot shook her head and pounded the floor with her fist. "That was almost a year ago now. He's Lauren's fiancé now." Elliot looked up to him and tears of pain were drowning her eyes.

"She invited us to the wedding." She sobbed. "I have to go and watch the man who got Sydney marry my ex girlfriend? Great." Zac held her in his arms as she cried and let everything out. After that night Sydney was never mentioned again.

Sydney sat in silence as Elliot finished explaining what had happened. "So it was you Sydney. You hurt me and beat me and if I hadn't of escaped that night you would have…"

Tears flooded Syd's eyes as she realised that if what Lauren had said was true then she was in full control and knew what she was doing. "Lauren said I was completely free as Julia. I think I just snapped. Everything got to me all at once and I was offered this perfect way out of being the goody two shoes agent who had to play by the rules…I am so sorry Elle…"

Elliot pulled away from her and sat curled up in the far corner of the bed. The room held many memories for her and that was why Lauren had put her with Sydney inside it. As she closed her eyes she could hear her screams of mercy echo from the walls. "You were Sydney Bristow. Now all you'll ever be is Julia Thorne." She turned her back to her and allowed her tears to roll down her cheeks, leaving Sydney to sit in silence, contemplating what she'd done.

"You're right." She muttered. "I did everything as Julia Thorne and knew what I was doing. I didn't care again until I found out about the box and what the Covenant wanted me to do…now they can't do it."

She walked to the door and pounded on it. "Lauren! Danny! I want to talk." She looked back at Elliot once and the hatred in her glare only urged her on. "I want to be Julia again."


	13. Chapter 13

**Title:** Skeletons in the closet

**Summary:** Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

**Spoiler:** 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

**Rating:** PG-13

**A/N:** I'd like to thank Eyghon, your last review was really great and I know have an inflated ego. I will be writing over Christmas so I'll try and update as often as possible.

Chapter Thirteen

Vaughn found himself led to an upstairs room of the house and shoved into a seat by Danny. "I've been keeping an eye on you Mr. Vaughn. You stole Syd from me when I was barely cold in my grave. That's just not nice. Then you wanted Sydney instead of Lauren. You're not allowed both Mr. Vaughn…well unless you're me."

Vaughn scowled and stared him in the eye. "You never had Sydney, you had Julia Thorne and she wasn't Sydney." Danny shook his head.

"Julia was my double agent Vaughn. She knew what she was doing. She knew what she was doing when she betrayed this country, fed the CIA information…slept with Lauren."

Vaughn's expression turned from anger to shock. "No, Sydney wouldn't…"

"It was before I sent Lauren to seduce you, but even afterwards every time Lauren came home from seeing you Julia had to reclaim her…"

"Shut up!" Vaughn roared. "Sydney loves me, loved Daniel Hecht, but he's dead now and as for Lauren…"

"What about me?" Lauren asked as she led Sydney into the room. "Danny, I have some great news. Julia's come back to us…"

"NO!" Vaughn roared, tugging at the bonds that held his arms behind his back.

Danny smiled as Sydney stared blankly at Vaughn. He'd seen that look in her eyes before. She had given up again, broken and crumpled from her life of pain. "Really? How do I know you've come back to us Sydney? You hurt Lauren and I by running away from us."

Sydney turned to Lauren and kissed her passionately while Vaughn watched in disbelief, tears filling his eyes. Sydney pulled away for air and smiled at the red tint in Lauren's cheeks.

"Because we're a family." Sydney replied. "And I'll make it up to you."

Danny smiled and embraced both Lauren and Sydney. "I have some business to attend to so I'll be gone tonight. Put Vaughn away, and then you two look after each other." He kissed them both and then grabbed Vaughn by the collar and practically dragged him back to his cell where Jack waited patiently for him to return.

Vaughn sat in tears as he told Jack what had happened. "She's turned, it's not an act either. I saw her eyes they were so cold…soulless. She's given up Jack."

Danny opened Elliot's cell door and grinned as he saw a cowering and crying wreck huddled on a bed. "See Elliot you can't have Syd. You never could and you never will. She's mine and that's the way it's meant to be. She doesn't love you, she can't even stand you." He laughed cruelly as he left her alone in the dark empty room.

Sydney silently followed Lauren through the house until she recognised the room Lauren had said belonged to Julia. As she stopped Lauren looked curiously. "Thought you were going to make it up to me? After all I've had to watch you pine over Vaughn all these months." Sydney smiled awkwardly and followed her to her room.

"Lauren, maybe we could do this tomorrow. It just feels weird right now, I mean I'm just settling back in and…" Lauren's lips covered Sydney's and silenced her as Lauren guided them to her bed and pushed Sydney down.

"It's ok Sydney I understand." She lay down with her and caressed her cheek.

"I'm not going to rush you. I just want you with me tonight, nothing has to happen if you don't want it to." Sydney smiled and nodded

As they lay in bed Sydney was painfully aware of every inch of flesh that was touching Lauren. Her mind was a mess. She felt the love she had for Danny, old and new lust for Lauren, part of her was screaming for her to save Vaughn and another part of her despised herself for what she'd done to Elliot. She had to take her mind off the confusion somehow.

She cuddled into Lauren and whispered in her ear. "So was Vaughn better?" Lauren grinned mischievously.

"I really can't remember. You'll have to refresh my memory."


	14. Chapter 14

**Title:** Skeletons in the closet

**Summary:** Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

**Spoiler:** 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

**Rating:** PG-13

Chapter Fourteen

When Sydney woke up she was confused. She was lying in bed with the covers over her and her clothes on the floor. Something was missing though. Then it hit her. "Lauren." She called out. "Lauren?" Lauren emerged from the front room wearing a dressing gown.

"What is it?" She asked as she sat down on the bed and Sydney hugged her closely.

"I thought you'd…I woke up and you weren't there…" Sydney cried into her shoulder and Lauren held her until she was calm again.

"I need to go see Danny, so you wait here and I'll be straight back." Sydney nodded in compliance and lay back down, watching Lauren dress.

"Danny." Lauren entered his room and found him still in bed. "Daniel, we need to talk." He sat up grumpily and groaned.  
"Can't it wait?" He sighed.

"It's Sydney she…" Danny sat up at the mention of Sydney's name. "Last night we were together and this morning she was in tears because I wasn't there. I think we need to get her a doctor or some sort of medication. She's completely snapped, she was in tears..."

Danny sighed as he pulled on his trousers and grabbed a shirt. "We told her exactly what she did as Julia, she was in love with me and with you at the same time, she tortured Elliot, she let Vaughn be hurt…of course she'll be confused. We broke her, now we can fix her and we can have Sydney back with us. We just need to show her where her place is again. She's confused Lauren, she has a thousand and one problems right now and she's trying to deal with them on her own. We have to help her."

Lauren nodded and returned to her room to find Sydney gone. "Sydney?" She called out, but received no reply. "Syd?" She explored the upstairs of the house but couldn't find her.

Sydney opened the cell door and found Vaughn and her father asleep on the two beds in the small damp room. "Get up." She hissed and her father stirred first.

"Sydney…I knew you wouldn't have turned…" Vaughn woke up and looked to Sydney.

"They don't know I'm here. Elliot's in the next room." She threw Jack the key. "Go now."

They rushed out of the room and Jack tried to take hold of Sydney's arm, but she pulled away from him. "Leave!" She snapped. "Now!" Vaughn opened Elliot's cell and went in to bring her out. She stared coldly at Sydney and Sydney scowled. "Go."

Vaughn looked desperately at Jack and handed Elliot to him. "I'll catch up." He assured them as they made their way out of the basement. "Sydney, you have to come with us."

"Why? So you can arrest me? I can sit in that little cell that mom sat in and let you all come in and visit me like some animal in a zoo? None of you are on my side…not you, not Dad…Elliot hates me. Who can blame her? I'm evil. I guess I can't help it, having mom and dad as parents…just go now…please, before they catch you."

"Sydney…" He tried to touch her arm but she thumped him in the chest and pushed him away.

"NO! I don't care about any of you. I don't love you I never did…Danny's my fiancé…till death do us part…please just go." She slumped to the floor and curled up in a ball, rocking herself for comfort.

Vaughn had no choice. He left quickly and found Jack and Elliot nearby in the woods that Elliot had ran through for her freedom. Vaughn's eyes stung from the sour tears that plagued his vision and he shook his head at Jack. "She's confused…she needs help."

"We can't help from here." Jack argued. "We'll get to a phone, get back up and come back to get her. She's my daughter Vaughn, I'm won't give up on her."

Lauren went back in to her room and noticed her set of keys to the cells missing. "Oh no." She rushed downstairs and shouted to Danny. They both ran to the cells with their guns ready and found Sydney slumped on the floor rocking backwards and forwards with the doors to the two cells wide open.

"You betrayed us!" Lauren snapped aiming her gun at Sydney. "You used us…"

"Lauren…she's still here." Danny interrupted as he got down on his knees beside Sydney. "Why did you let them go Sydney?"

Sydney shook her head and began to cry. "I don't know. I can't think. There are too many thoughts. Vaughn…he left me…he's supposed to look after me, he's my handler…why did daddy leave too? He doesn't love me since mommy died…Danny we have to start planning. There's so much to do before the wedding…" Danny grabbed her arms and shook her.

"Sydney!" He snapped. "I need you to calm down. We're going to go upstairs and pack. Then we need to leave before the CIA comes. We need to get you to a doctor, ok?"

Sydney shook her head and clung to him. "I can't go to a doctor. Sloane has them all in his pocket. They know you know. I have to protect you…"

"Ok." Danny agreed. "You can protect me by coming upstairs with me and letting me give you something to help calm you down, ok?" Sydney nodded and he scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

When Vaughn and Jack stormed the house with a swat team including Weiss and Zac they found the house cleaned out completely and no trace that anyone had been there in weeks. There was no trace of Sydney and Vaughn smashed a nearby vase in anger. "She's gone! We've lost her again!"

Jack stood by Elliot's hospital bed as the nurse finished fussing over her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I shouldn't be here. I'm fine, it's just a couple of bruised ribs…and a lot of bad memories."

Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and fidgeted with his hands. "We went back…"

"They're gone?" Jack nodded and sighed.

"I've lost her again. She's in pretty bad shape. It's like she's just snapped."

"I told her what she did to me as Julia…that's when she flipped." Jack shook his head and held Elliot's hand.

"She hasn't been right since she came back. With everything that's happened in her life it's surprising she lasted this long. It's not your fault Elliot."

"Then why do I feel so bad?" She choked through tears. "I love her so much, but I can never forget what she did to me as Julia." Jack held on to her hand as his own tears spilled down his cheeks.

"Right now she needs us to be strong Elliot. We have to get her back. And I won't rest until I have my daughter back, then we can try and help her through this."

"What if there's no way through?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Title:** Skeletons in the closet

**Summary:** Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

**Spoiler:** 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

**Rating:** PG-13

Chapter Fifteen

"It's for the best." Danny whispered to Lauren as Sydney lay on the hotel bed. "She needs professional help and we can't give her that." Lauren looked down at Sydney who seemed to have no idea who she was and sighed.

"But we'll lose her again." She moaned. "I just have her back Danny…" He took Lauren in his arms and held her as she sobbed. Sydney frowned at the action.

"Danny? Is she a friend from college? You never said we were having guests over for dinner." Sydney smiled sweetly at them and Lauren's tears increased.

The next morning Sydney found herself with Danny and Lauren outside a large country home where everyone wore loose white clothes and nurses followed them everywhere.

Danny sat her down in a furnished room where a nurse stood watching them with a fake smile on her features. "Syd, you're not well right now and Lauren and I need you to get better. You're going to stay here for a little while and get better ok?" Sydney looked from Danny to Lauren and shook her head.

"Don't leave me." She cried out and grabbed Lauren's hand. "Don't let him leave me."

Lauren forced back her tears and knelt down beside her. "Sydney you have to be brave. We'll come visit, but you have to get better so we can all be a family again." Lauren kissed her forehead and pulled away from her, letting go of her hand.

"Be brave sweetie." Danny kissed her and left her with the nurse. Sydney looked at the smiling woman and then matched her smile. "Will you be my friend? Mom's supposed to be picking me up, but she's late…"

Four months later Jack sat in his study with a bottle of whisky in his hand and yesterday's clothes on. When Elliot walked through the door he jumped and scowled. "How'd you get in?"

"I learnt from the best. Dixon asked me to come buy and tell you we have a lead on Danny and Lauren, a Covenant minion gave us a deal."

"I remember the last time you came into my study uninvited to talk about Sydney." Elliot nodded and sat down on his desk. She'd went to him the second she'd found out about Sydney being dead and told him about the Julia woman.

"Things have changed since then."

Jack laughed at her statement. "A lot has changed since then, my daughter is insane, my old field agent has taken her place in the CIA and whisky doesn't go as far as it used to."

"I'm doing my job." Elliot objected. "Like you told me to do. When I came to you in tears back at SD-6 because I couldn't stand to be around Sydney you told me I had a job to do first and I had to stay at SD-6 to do that. Above all else the job comes first, that's what you said! I'm just doing what you told me to!"

Jack sighed as the young woman shouted at him. "I know. I know that I'm not the only one who has to deal with Sydney being gone, but I've lost so much in my life, I can't lose my daughter again."

"Weiss and Zac are following up that lead." She went to leave and then paused at the door. "If you can sober yourself up by tomorrow morning then Zac and I are following our own lead, if you want in then come to my apartment at seven. There's a chance we can find Syd, not Lauren and Danny, but Sydney. Going through the appropriate channels will take too long, so we're sneaking in."

Jack met Elliot and Zac at exactly seven the next morning and looked curiously at Elliot as she handed him a white doctor's coat. "You ready doc?" She wore one too while Zac wore all white sweats. He beamed at Jack's curious glance.

"She's finally committing me."

When they arrived at 'Oak Haven Rest Home' they were greeted by a Doctor Manning. "Ah, welcome to Oak Haven, this must be Jonathan?" He shook Zac's hand and led them inside. "So why did you say you were transferring Jonathan here?"

"It's closer for his mother to visit him. She's a frail old thing and desperately wants to be bale to visit him." Elliot explained.

"Well I'll show you around the site and walk you through out practises, so that you're happy for Jonathan to be here and we'll let Jonathan meet some friends huh?"

A nurse led Zac away from Elliot and Zac and into a room full of people in identical white sweats. They sat huddled in groups or solitary by a window or corner. Some of them cowered as he walked by and others sized him up looking for trouble, but he ignored them and the second the nurse left he began to look through them to see if Syd was really there, or if his contact at the institute had been wrong.

When he didn't find her in the 'day room' he snuck out and into a long corridor that had doors on each side leading to patient's rooms. He tried several rooms before he was tapped on the shoulder. "Excuse me, it's rude to walk into other people's rooms." It was a young blonde woman who had confronted him and he smiled politely, turning on his charm.

"I'm sorry. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Sydney Bristow, you don't know her by any chance do you?"

The woman beamed and nodded. "Syd's my friend. We used to be roomies and she always writes to me and sends sweets. She's really cool…"

"Where is she now?" He interrupted.

"She's on the outside. She got better and they let her out."

"Do you have an address, or a way to contact her?" He asked and watched the young woman's features become conflicted.

"I'm not supposed to tell."

"I'm a friend of hers." Zac explained. "And it's real important that I talk to her. I need to know she's ok. So can you tell me how to find her?"

The woman gave him an address that had obviously been memorised and smiled when he gave her the candy bar he had forgotten to eat at breakfast. "Thanks for this."

After running an errand he made his way back to the day room and waited for Elliot and Jack to get him. They came an hour later and told Doctor Manning they would consider the institute.

"What did you get?" Elliot asked as Zac scribbled down the memorized address.

"I got Syd." He beamed. "I checked her file while you two were playing doctor. Her fiancé and friend brought her to the institute four months ago. She was totally burnt out. Her file said she was going through some sort of posttraumatic stress thing and she was resorting to different stages in her life to cope. After a month and a half she made a full recovery and was released." He explained. Jack nodded.

"Project Christmas was used on Sydney, it would have helped her come back from her brake down. That's probably how she came to her senses last time and erased her memory. So where's the address?"

"Um…it's a little further than we can drive." Zac handed the paper to Jack and he scowled. "North West Las Vegas. What is she doing there?"

"Getting as far away from us as possible." Elliot replied. "We'll tell Dixon what we found and take a plane there ASAP."

"If she's sane now, why hasn't she come back?" Zac asked the question the other two were afraid to ask. Why would Sydney run and hide from them if she was her normal self?


	16. Chapter16

**Title:** Skeletons in the closet

**Summary:** Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

**Spoiler:** 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

**Rating:** PG-13

**A/N: **I've finally finished this story, it's quite open ended, but that's because I'm planning a sequel to it.

Chapter Sixteen

When Elliot Zac and Jack pulled up outside the address they had they all went to get out of the car, but Jack stopped the other two. "We might scare her. Let me try talking to her first." Zac nodded in agreement and Elliot reluctantly stayed in the car.

When he knocked Sydney answered the door with a wide grin. "Did you forget your key again…Dad?" She froze in the doorway and lost her smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I found out you were at the Oak Haven institute. A friend of yours gave us your address. We need to talk Sydney…" She looked at the car he had arrived in and frowned when she saw the others.

"Bring them in they need to hear this. We talk then you go, ok?" Jack nodded as she stepped aside to let him in and he beckoned for the others to join him.

"Look I can summarise the talking right now. Project Christmas was the reason I recovered. My doctor said I was suffering from a break down. I tried to deal with that breakdown by reliving points of my life, such as my childhood or when I was happy with Danny. That's why I thought I was in love with four people at once. I had been." Elliot tried to catch her gaze but Sydney looked away. "But they were all in the past. I don't love any of them anymore and I never can, things have changed. I'm better now and I'm happy here. I'm not going anywhere. I quit the CIA. I told Kendall, he wasn't happy but he accepts it's my choice. Now I want all of you to leave and never come back. I'm happy here, I have a new life."

Elliot went to argue but Jack shook his head and kissed Sydney before heading for the door. "It's Sydney's choice. She's safe here and if she's happy then I am. She's got my stubborn streak, if she's made up her mind there's no changing it. Goodbye sweetheart." Sydney smiled and walked over to hug him for making his sacrifice and the other two begrudgingly followed him out.

"Thank you dad. This means a lot. I've stopped running from the past. I'm ready to face a future without it." As Jack drove away in the car he could see the pain on Elliot's face at losing her, he felt the same thing inside, he just didn't show it. He'd felt the same agony inside when Laura had died, when he discovered she was Irina Derevko and every time Sydney had despised him through her life, every time he lost her.

When they arrived back at the CIA Vaughn had a face like thunder. He sat in Dixon's office with Weiss, his face red with anger. "We caught Danny. He did a deal with us...unfortunately that means he'll be free in a year. We've successfully disbanded the Covenant; there are a few of the senior agents missing, but we've beat them." Weiss grinned.

"Lauren got away." Vaughn growled. "She left him a few weeks ago and he doesn't know where she is." He looked at Elliot's face and saw traces of dry tears.

"What's wrong?" He looked at Jack's brooding expression and sighed. "Sydney?"

"We found Sydney. She handed her resignation to Kendall; he'll be forwarding it to Dixon. She wants to be left on her own to start a fresh life…" Zac pulled out a white envelope from his pocket.

"She slipped me this before we left." He explained and handed the envelope with Vaughn's name on to Vaughn.

He took it with shaking hands and opened it to reveal a letter inside. "Dear Vaughn, I'm writing to tell you that I'm safe. I'm happy now and I can finally live the life I wanted. I'm grateful for everything you did for me as my handler, friend and guardian angel, but too much has changed. I love you but I'm not in love with you. I'm starting fresh and I want you and everyone else to leave me alone. Sydney." He read out loud and broke down in tears on Weiss' shoulder.

Elliot left the room and Zac followed her while Dixon went to chase up Kendall, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts. To the outside world he'd lost a wife and a daughter, but everyone else knew he'd lost a traitor and the best agent the CIA had encountered. He looked at the scrap of paper he had with Syd's address on and crumpled it up before discarding it. He'd made a promise to Syd to leave her be and he'd honour it, for once he'd do right by his daughter.

Zac followed Elliot as she drove in her car and ended up at the credit dauphine. "Hey." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she stared at the building. "It's her choice Elliot, we have to respect that." Elliot shrugged and pulled away from him as though she was unaffected.

"What do I care? Our friendship died in there. She never loved me and she never will, end of. I've got more important things to think about like my career…" As she walked away to get in her car Zac called out to her.

"Be careful Elle, you're starting to sound like Jack. He's not the best role model to have. You'll end up lonely and bitter and you're career will be all you have." She shook her head.

"I'm not giving up on her."

Lauren Reed sat in her car and watched as Sydney invited a group of people in for her dinner party. She stopped on man and kissed him before grinning like a schoolgirl after her first kiss.

Lauren scowled. She had no resources left now that Danny had sold out to the CIA. She was on her own. No Vaughn, no CIA and no chance at claiming Sydney, but she wasn't beaten. She'd go back for Sydney. When she had her own empire and she'd make them all pay for turning Sydney against her, including Danny. She wasn't about to give up on obtaining Sydney's love.

Sydney sat at her dining table with her and her boyfriend's friends and laughed at jokes as she served out the meal she had spent all day cooking. She was happy and living a normal life, one where she knew her friends were safe and she didn't have to hide endless bruises with make up. She was regular Sydney Bristow, English teacher and girlfriend.

Once the meal was finished her boyfriend Calvin rose from his chair and went down on one knee in front of her. "Sydney, will you do me the great honour of being my wife?" The tears that she shed that night were of happiness and joy for once instead of pain and anguish.

Two months later she returned from work with the door to her and her fiancé's house open. She cautiously went inside and called out to Calvin. It was his day off and he should have been home.

She searched the downstairs of the house and then went upstairs. The bathroom door was open and she crept in cautiously. She screamed at the scene before her. Calvin lay dead in the bathtub the same way Danny had been. There was a note resting on his cold, still chest and she forced herself to pick it up.

"Dear Sydney, does anything strike you as familiar here? Did you really think I'd let you go so easily? You're mine and you always will be. Love you always." Sydney slumped down beside the tub and stared blankly at her dead fiancé. She would make whoever did this pay.

The End.


End file.
